Warriors of the Sky I: Pale Sky
by NightSkyDragonfly
Summary: The horrendous clash between StarClan and the Dark Forest is over. The Clans have suffered heavy losses, but are recovering. However, with inexperienced leaders and little guidance, the Clans turn on each other. Will four crippled kits save them all?
1. Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

Leader 

Briarstar-dark brown she-cat

Deputy

Ivysky-silver and white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Medicine Cat

Jayfeather-gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

_Apprentice-Heartpaw_

Warriors

Lionblaze-golden tabby tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice-Nightpaw_

Foxleap-reddish tabby tom

_Apprentice-Sweetpaw_

Rosepetal- dark cream she-cat

Bumbleflight- pale gray tom with black stripes

_Apprentice-Darkpaw_

Dovewing-pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Cherryleaf-ginger she-cat with green eyes

Moleclaw-brown and cream tom

_Apprentice-Strikepaw_

Lightning tail-golden tabby tom

Honeyfur-cream colored she-cat with amber eyes

Lakefoot-pale ginger tom with white feet and blue eyes

Apprentices

Strikepaw-brown and gray patched tom

Nightpaw-black tom with strange silver eyes

Darkpaw-black and dark gray tabby she-cat

Sweetpaw-brindle and white she-cat with amber eyes

Heartpaw-white she-cat with reddish patches

Queens

Cinderheart-gray tabby she-cat, oldest nursery queen

Blossomfall-tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Mossflower-dappled brown she-cat with green eyes (mother to Swankit, a pure white she-cat)

Elders

Squirrelflight –dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose-cream colored tom

Poppyfrost-tortoiseshell and white she-cat

**ShadowClan**

Leader

Redstar-mottled brown and ginger tom

Deputy

Starlingflight-ginger tom

Medicine Cat

Flametail-ginger tom

_Apprentice-Goldenpaw_

Warriors

Owlclaw-light brown tabby tom

Dawnpelt-cream-furred she-cat

_Apprentice-Palepaw_

Ferretclaw-cream and gray tom

_Apprentice-Sharppaw_

Pinefrost-black she-cat with silver eyes

Shadestream-dark gray tom with pale stripes

_Apprentice-Dustpaw_

Smoketail-pale gray she-cat with amber eyes

Greenfur-tortoiseshell tom

Ravenwhisker-black she-cat with long whiskers

Blackear-tabby tom with black ears

Rockpelt-silver tabby tom

Mistfur-gray-white she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentices

Sharppaw-reddish brown she-cat

Goldenpaw-pale ginger tom with green eyes

Palepaw-white she-cat with silver eyes

Dustpaw-brown tabby tom

Queens

Olivenose-tortoiseshell she-cat

Wrenflight-pale brown she-cat (mother to Falconkit, a russet-red tom)

Elders

Crowfrost-black and white tom

Applefur-mottled brown she-cat

Tawnypelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**WindClan**

Leader

Heatherstar-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy

Sunstrike-tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead

_Apprentice-Rabbitpaw_

Medicine Cat

Birdfeather-cream and brown she-cat with a long tail

Warriors

Swallowtail-dark gray she-cat

_Apprentice-Cricketpaw_

Whiskerpelt-light brown tom

_Apprentice-Rainpaw_

Furzeclaw-gray and white she-cat

Boulderflame-enormous pale gray tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice-Elmpaw_

Tinyfoot-small brown she-cat with pale stripes

_Apprentice-Dapplepaw_

Hawkshadow-long-legged golden brown tabby tom

Grasspelt-pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

_Apprentice-Stormpaw_

Horsetail-dark brown tabby tom

Silverstep-black tom with pale gray paws

_Apprentice-Moorpaw_

Apprentices

Elmpaw-grayish brown tom

Cricketpaw-grayish brown she-cat

Moorpaw-golden brown tabby tom

Stormpaw-gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Rainpaw-dappled gray and white she-cat

Dapplepaw-tortoiseshell she-cat

Rabbitpaw-pale brown tabby she-cat

Queens

Sedgewhisker-light brown tabby she-cat

Cloudfur-white and gray she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Jaegerkit, a dark gray and black tabby tom)

Elders

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws

**RiverClan**

Leader

Minnowstar-dark gray she-cat

Deputy

Hollowtree-dark brown tabby tom

Medicine Cat

_Sandpaw-fluffy-furred brown tabby she-cat_

Warriors

Petalfur-gray and white she-cat

_Apprentice-Ripplepaw_

Troutleap-pale gray tabby she-cat

Rushpelt-light brown tabby tom

Flashfur-dappled golden she-cat with black spots

_Apprentice-Ospreypaw_

Bluewater-blue gray tom

Webtalon-large gray tom with long whiskers

Hailfang-dark gray tabby tom

Maplefoot-dappled red she-cat with golden eyes

Oakshadow-ginger tom

Fishtail-small gray tom

Apprentices

Sandpaw-medicine cat

Ospreypaw-dark brown tom

Ripplepaw-silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Queens

Songwhisker-brown and white tabby she-cat (mother to Heronkit, a violet-gray she-kit)

Elders

Mintfur-light gray tabby tom

Icewing-white she-cat with blue eyes

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes


	2. ThunderClan 1

**A/N: Hi people! Thank you to bookworm2091 who submitted a lovely review, and on the boring summary and allegiances too! **

"Sweetpaw! How many times do I have to tell you! You're a warrior apprentice, not a medicine cat apprentice. Focus and keep your tail off the ground!"

Sweetpaw's ears fell and she struggled to reclaim control of her stray appendage. Falling back into a crouch, she crept forward and growled as her plumy tail snagged on some grass. Yanking her tail up, she slithered forward, managing not to dislodge any leaves or rustle any vegetation .

"Better," Foxleap allowed, flattening his neck fur from his previous agitation.

"Take it easy, Foxleap. She was just apprenticed a quarter moon ago." Lionblaze looked up from where his own, more experienced apprentice was prowling though the undergrowth. "She's doing just fine. And besides, her sister _is_ the medicine cat apprentice."

Foxleap's tail-tip twitched, but he made no further remarks and watched silently as the older warrior patiently adjusted the young apprentice's hunting crouch.

* * *

As Sweetpaw padded through the thorn barrier, muscles quivering from strain but proudly carrying a vole, a tiny white furball plowed into her flank. Staggering from the impact, the brindled apprentice looked down into the unseeing scarlet eyes of Swankit.

"I smelled you!" the kit mewed excitedly, bouncing up and down and almost tripping over her own paws. "I'm gonna be the greatest hunter ever! Like you, Sweetpaw!"

_For once, I'm looking __**down**__ at someone. Someone who actually believes in me, although I'm not sure I even believe in myself._

Setting down her vole, Sweetpaw remarked, "Well, Swan_paw_, I'm going to have some competition when you beco-"

Darkpaw skidded into Sweetpaw, knocking her off her paws. Surprisingly, the friendly tabby she-cat did not stop to apologize.

"Help!" she screeched. "ShadowClan invasion!"

Sweetpaw's blood ran cold. Bumblestripe, Darkpaw's mentor, had taken her to hunt in the pines for an assessment. If he faced the ShadowClan warriors alone for very long, things would not go well, even for the bold, headstrong warrior.

Lionblaze, who had just settled down with a squirrel, immediately abandoned his freshkill and leapt**(?)** to his paws. Ivysky and Dovewing, whisking down from Highledge, collected both him and Moleclaw before dashing out towards the ShadowClan border.

_Be safe,_ Sweetpaw thought, ushering Swankit back into the nursery. _All of you._

_

* * *

_

All the ThunderClan cats were on edge, pacing the clearing with pricked ears and sniffing the air nervously with every step. Jayfeather could be heard ordering his young apprentice to prepare healing herbs of many varieties. Swankit fought her way out of the den and scurried to sit next to Sweetpaw, paws fidgeting.

It was well past sun-high before faint rustles could be heard from the thorn barrier. As the battle patrol emerged, Jayfeather slipped out of his den with Heartpaw in tow.

Bumblestripe was bleeding badly on both flanks while both Dovewing and Moleclaw had missing fur and Ivysky's front leg was sticking out awkwardly from her body. Lionblaze remained untouched.

"We won," he announced. The assembled cats let out a collective breath.

"Those fox-hearts," Moleclaw snarled. "Attacking a lone warrior and his apprentice."

"They even scent-marked our territory," added Ivysky, lapping her injured leg. Outraged yowls erupted among the ThunderClan cats.

"Quiet!" Briarstar ordered, jumping onto Highledge. "I _will_ bring this up at the Gathering. Redstar will not be getting away with this, you can be sure of it."

* * *

**This is more than a little short, but my brain is going too fast to put stuff down on coherent order. Anyways, the chapters will be put up in mini-stories from each Clan, with every fifth chapter being either a gathering or something special, like a visit to the Moonpool.**

**I hope to update once a week, but when school starts again (yay fall break!) it will be a stretch.**

**P.S. I will be changing my Penname to NightSkyDragonfly, in case anyone wants to know in advance. **

**3  
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	3. ShadowClan 1

**Finally, a teensy bit of time to put this chapter up. It's a bit longer than the last one, but with science fair and orchestra fesitvals causing me to miss school, i really don't have time. However, Saturday afternoons are my Fanfiction time. :D Enjoy! **

**Whoops, Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the series, just the ones i made up, like Sweet and Dust and Sharp and Swan. Okay?  
**

Dustpaw stretched and yawned, the morning sun warming his sandy-brown pelt. He rarely got the chance to lie around this early, but he had gone on the midnight patrol and hunted at dawn, so Shadestream had given him a break before sun-high patrol.

Just as he was about to doze off, a sheathed paw prodded his side. Dustpaw's green eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?" he hissed, glaring at the russet form of Sharppaw.

"Hm, someone's touchy this morning," she drawled. "Ferretclaw and Shadestream want us at training. Something about an assessment tomorrow."

"I did the midnight patrol _and_ I hunted already," Dustpaw all but whined. Still, he hauled himself off the Boulder and gave his shoulders a few swift licks. "Fine, but it's not like the assessment will be for me. Palepaw and I have at least three more moons."

Sharppaw smirked. "You never know."

Dustpaw's tail-tip twitched at her tone and he sent the older apprentice a calculating stare. "What are the warriors planning tomorrow?"

"You'll have to come to training and find out, _Dustkit_."

"Get back here you no good-!"

Dustpaw growled, his victim having escaped out the camp entrance.

"I've got you now!" Sharppaw crowed, perching daintily on Dustpaw's back as the younger apprentice panted in exertion, lying flat on the ground.

"No you haven't!" Dustpaw collected his paws under him and sprang upwards, causing the other cat to tumble awkwardly into the sand. "That'll show you not to actually _pin_ me down."

Shaking dust out of his fur, the tom flicked Sharppaw on the ear. "It's okay, I'm bigger than you. I have the natural advantage."

"Advantage, my tail! I'll show you!" With that, Sharppaw propelled herself into Dustpaw, carrying them back into the dirt, where they continued to scuffle.

"Dustpaw, stop. Sharppaw! Sharppaw, get off him!"

The two apprentices looked up guiltily and smoothed out their ruffled fur.

"Listen up!" Ferretclaw snapped. "Starlingflight is leading a patrol into ThunderClan territory tomorrow after dawn. They have prey-rich land they haven't been bothering to use. _If _the two of you shape up in time, you will be going."

Dustpaw's eyes widened.

"We're going to steal their land?" he squeaked.

"No," Shadestream retorted, "we're going to _take_ their land. By force, if necessary. Now get. Ferretclaw and I are going to hunt. You two will be stalking us. Ready?"

Both apprentices nodded as their mentors disappeared amongst the pines.

"Go!"

Dustpaw groaned as he hauled himself out of his nest. Sharppaw was already sitting erect, lapping her chest fur.

"Wazgoin'on?" Goldenpaw blinked blearily, turning his head to check the sky outside.

"Great StarClan! It's only halfway to dawn! What are you doing _awake_!" the ginger apprentice hissed.

Sharppaw, who was closest, slapped her tail-tip over the medicine cat apprentice's mouth, pricking her ears at the still-sleeping Palepaw.

"For your information, _we_ are going on a warrior patrol into ThunderClan. _You_ will be waiting for us when we get back and heal our injuries." Sharppaw managed to fill her soft mews with pride.

Goldenpaw snorted. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm a medicine cat. I don't understand your _battle pride._" With that, the tom turned over and fell asleep.

Sharppaw was in the middle of shooting her brother a nasty glare when Ferretclaw's voice flowed through the branches. Huffing, she and Dustpaw padded from the den, embarking on their first journey, which would end in their very first battle.

The moment Dustpaw stepped from the bushes over the ThunderClan border he knew something had gone very, very wrong. He was nose to nose with a dark tabby ThunderClan apprentice who, evidently, had been tracking prey. Her ear-splitting screech could have alerted StarClan, not to mention her burly mentor, who appeared under the trees behind her.

"Get help," the pale gray tom snapped at her, before throwing himself at an extremely startled Shadestream, carrying him off his paws and straight into a vicious-looking thornbush.

The apprentice bolted in the direction of what Dustpaw could only assume was the ThunderClan camp. Startled, he gave chase, Sharppaw close on his heels, the sound of outraged yowls and indignant hisses fading away behind him.

Obviously the two ShadowClan cats had underestimated their ThunderClan counterpart. The lithe she-cat had outstripped them within the first few tree-lengths and tricked them with her extensive knowledge of her own territory. She was the reason why the pair was currently panting, belly-deep in the stream that ran along the WindClan border.

Sharppaw glared at her tabby friend through narrowed eyes, but was distracted by the flashes of pelt color just visible through the ThunderClan trees. _Was that Lionblaze? And Ivysky? Oh StarClan, no._

Dustpaw looked as horrified as she felt. Their Clanmates, however strong, could not fend off the pair of formidable ThunderClan warriors. Lost in thoughts, they suddenly felt cold gazes on their pelts.

"You seem far from home, little ones, to be standing in that stream," purred the silky voice of the WindClan deputy.

**hehe. You guys are lucky i'm writing about WindClan next...**


	4. WindClan 1

**Hi! Sorry for the late update and tiny chapter, but i need some ideas to fill in the chapters before introducing the main characters. Review?**

**lots of thanks to Liveera, who sent a nice review. Sorry, but Tigerheart is in StarClan. But at least he's not in the dark forest.  
**

Rabbitpaw skittered anxiously at the edge of the hollow, pale blue eyes glued to as Sunstrike as the deputy sorted out patrols. Today would be her first day as the wiry tortoiseshell's apprentice, and Rabbitpaw was beyond nervous.

"…and I'll be hunting along the ThunderClan border with Rappitpaw," The deputy finished. Cats peeled away from the center of the clearing to do their respective duties while Sunstrike beckoned her apprentice with her plumy tail. Rabbitpaw hurried to catch her fleet-footed mentor as she bounded out of camp.

* * *

"Okay, Rabbitpaw, what can you scent?"

Rabbitpaw's fur grew hot. Her mentor already knew from the way she tripped her way across the territory that she was no good at chasing down prey out on the moor.

"T-There's some sparrows in the oak trees over there, a-and a squirrel is—wait! Some cats are in the stream!" Rabbitpaw gasped.

Sunstrike opened her mouth to admonish her mouse-brained apprentice when the scent hit her as well. "ShadowClan!" she hissed.

"S-ShadowClan? I t-thought they l-lived on the other side of the l-lake," Rabbitpaw choked out confusedly.

"Shh!" the tortoiseshell whispered, giving Rabbitpaw a serious look. "Go back to camp to report when I say. Then I'll bring them back."

The two crept out of some bushes above the stream to see two wet, bedraggled ShadowClan apprentices standing in the stream. They looked like they had fallen off the slight bank and tumbled into the water, for their fur was plastered to their skin.

Sunstrike sent a look over her shoulder, gesturing for Rabbitpaw to retreat into the bushes, and purred loudly, "You two look a little young to be standing in that stream."

Both ShadowClan cats froze at the sound of the WindClan deputy's voice.

"Now then, you'll be coming to our camp and waiting for one of your warriors to come take you back." The tortoiseshell turned with a wave of her tail.

"NO!" the russet apprentice protested loudly. Her exclamation was met with frigid amber eyes.

"Would you rather I turned you over to ThunderClan? I'm sure they would give you a _warm_ welcome." Sunstrike mewed condescendingly.

Both ShadowClan apprentices gulped and shook their heads.

**Review? Happy Halloween!**


	5. RiverClan 1

**I is BACK! and SO, SO sorry about the huge gap and tiny chapter.**

**Thankyou to xFallingStarsx for a lovely review (a long time ago, sorry)but I IS BACK!**

Ripplepaw's forelegs burned as the latest trout she'd been targeting slid smoothly out of her grasp and back into the lake. Hissing, she crouched down so the cool lake water washed over the aching limbs. "Mouse-dung!" the silver apprentice hissed under her breath.

Glancing apprehensively at her mentor, who was also paw-deep in the lake a tree-length away, Ripplepaw gritted her teeth and returned to her efforts, remembering the way half-moon old Heronkit's pelt already hung off her miniscule frame and how even burly Hollowtree looked haggard and worn.

Raising a striped foreleg in preparation, Ripplepaw gazed back into the lake's watery depths.

* * *

Staggering back into camp empty-pawed was the worst experience in Ripplepaw's life. She watched desolately as the hope in the elders' eyes vanished, and she could almost hear them thinking, _if RiverClan's most experienced warrior and oldest apprentice fail to catch prey, then what will become of us?_

"That's alright, Ripplepaw," Petalfur sighed tiredly. "We'll try again once the evening patrol leaves."

The aging gray-and-white she-cat padded wearily towards the warriors den, tail-tip trailing in the packed dirt behind her. She barely twitched a whisker towards the pitiful fresh-kill pile, on which sat two small trout and a tiny marsh wren, though surely a morning of hunting would have tired her out.

Ripplepaw's claws sank into the ground, wishing to fight off the enemy that was starvation. However, she was broken from her trance when a gentle tail whisked over her ears. Sandpaw, RiverClan's only medicine cat, stood quietly next to her warrior counterpart.

"Will you come help me gather herbs?" she asked timidly. After pondering for the while, the thought of prey lurking about in the undergrowth mad up Ripplepaw's mind. She gave a terse nod.

* * *

Ripplepaw was finding Sandpaw to be more than a cowering healer.

After dragging several thick juniper branches, laden with purple-blue berries, off a bush, the golden apprentice made a spectacular dive after a fat dormouse that had been disturbed by the whole ordeal, pinning it to the ground and killing it swiftly.

While plucking horsetail and goldenrod, Sandpaw scented a water vole through the thick cloud of herb aromas and obligingly chased it straight into Ripplepaw's claws.

With a mouthfuls of marigold, dragging the branches behind them (which carried both the herbs and the prey), the two apprentices staggered into camp.

As Ripplepaw was helping her new friend sort and store the herbs, the golden apprentice admitted something rather spectacular.

"I'm a reincarnation. Of Sandstorm of ThunderClan. I think that's why I hunt so well."

**Sorry for the itty-bitty chapter, but the next one will be the GATHERING! what will RiverClan say? what will Briarstar do? REVIEW!**


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